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Experimental Farm Network’s Nate Kleinman Visits Living Web

Climate change– its causes and effects, its crusaders and its naysayers– is one of the top issues of our time. For Nate Kleinman, who used to work in disaster relief, it’s the work of his life. On February 24th, Living Web Farms will host Kleinman for a full day workshop on addressing climate change on the farm and in the garden, through the fostering of native plants, resilient plants, radical grassroots plant breeding, citizen research, and seed saving.

As a political organizer and activist working on hurricane relief in New Jersey after Sandy, Nate Kleinman made a connection that would change the course of his life. “It clicked for me that climate change and its effects are a social justice issue. And social justice is something I had always been passionate about. Disaster relief work was a bandaid, but I needed work that got at the root of the problem.” Enter the Experimental Farm Network, Kleinman’s online network, citizen research and plant exploration project that seeks to do just that.

“With all the ways agriculture impacts climate change, I want to address how individual farmers and gardeners can facilitate the creation of a sustainable food system,” Kleinman says. On February 24th, 2018 he will deliver a full day intensive workshop at Living Web Farms focusing on agroecology techniques, plant breeding, seed saving, native plants, and germplasm resources, to name a few of his favorite topics.

“Plant breeding is something that people have been doing for thousands of years,” Kleinman continues. “You don’t need a PhD to do it.” And so he is teaching people how. From seeds he got from the USDA, to plants he’s collected from the wild, Kleinman is assimilating a network of volunteers to work on proliferating resilient plant varieties, breed plants for nutrition and plant health, and research and harness the opportunity of useful wild plants.

In addition to hands-on techniques demonstrated by Kleinman, participants in the workshop will learn about resources for plant seeds and plant germplasm, and hear about highlighted projects of the Experimental Farm Network, including an effort to develop perennial sorghum, and to produce may apple for its powerful medicinal qualities.

Kleinman hopes to demonstrate that even if you are living in a row house and gardening a postage stamp, you can access free seeds, find rare plants, and practice breeding. Kleinman remembers the impetus for his projects being the total failure of perennial wheat, “which totally exists!” he adds, to ever become a marketable commodity. This drove him to champion what he calls “a citizen-science model for developing staple crops.”

The idea for the classes he teaches is to put the techniques for seed saving, plant breeding and variety development into the hands of laypeople. “Anyone can do it,” he says, “and regular people ought to be doing it. We can’t just leave it to the ivory tower and the corporation.”

Living Web Farms is a 501c-3 education and research organic farm. With over 35 acres, four greenhouses, alternative energy innovation, pastured livestock, forest crops, and diverse vegetable production, Living Web is the leading demonstration site for effective organic farming in western North Carolina, via free video content and year-round workshops. All food produced at the farm is donated to under-served individuals and families, via seven North Carolina food banks.

PARTICIPANT RELEASE

Please read and agree to the following terms. If you disagree, you will be re-directed to the home page, and will not be able to attend on-farm events.

For the opportunity to participate in this workshop, conducted through Living Web Farms (“LWF”), I hereby grant to LWF and its successors, licensees, assigns, employees and/or agents (a) the right to photograph, record, tape, film and otherwise reproduce my likeness, voice, mannerisms, image, appearance and performance during my participation in the Workshop, and (b) the right to use my name, likeness, portrait or pictures, voice and biographical material about me. LWF shall have the right to use such materials and information for educational, organizational and promotional purposes, and to exploit such materials and information in any and all media, including, without limitation, on LWF’s website. I acknowledge and agree that I shall not receive any monetary compensation in connection with the rights granted hereunder, and that my participation in the Workshop confers upon me no rights of use, ownership or copyright in or to any materials created by LWF pursuant to the grant of rights set forth herein.

I hereby waive any claim to violation of my rights of privacy, publicity or confidentiality pursuant to statute or common law in connection with the use that LWF, its successors, licensees, assigns, employees and/or agents shall make of materials or information which LWF has the right to create or use hereunder. I understand that LWF is under no obligation to create or use any such materials or information in any way.

Additionally, I acknowledge that there is a risk of injury, which can result from my participation in the Workshop. I hereby release LWF, its successors, licensees, assigns, employees and/or agents from any and all liability which may arise in connection with or result from my participation in the Workshop.

I hereby represent and warrant that I am eighteen (18) years of age or over; or, if the individual participating in the Workshop is under the age of eighteen (18), the individual agreeing to this Release hereby represents and warrants that he/she is the parent or guardian of the individual participating in the Workshop and has the legal authority to enter into this Release on behalf of such individual.

This Release is made in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, and embodies the entire agreement between myself and LWF with respect to the subject matter hereof. I acknowledge that the execution of this Release by me has not been induced by any representations, statements or warranties.